Bruke Lemma, PhD
“Under a dictatorship, a nation ceases to exist. All that remains is a fiefdom, a planet of slaves regimented by aliens from outer space.” — Wole Soyinka
It’s deeply perplexing to me every time I hear Abiy Ahmed speak – something I now consciously make an effort to avoid – how a man so remarkably ignorant, terribly nonsensical, a buffoon, and a clown, was able to deceive not only Ethiopians but the entire world.
It seems the world was eager for someone from that region to emerge; thus, as soon as he came on to the scene and spoke a few words and took actions that many initially perceived as positive, though the reality later proved to be quite different, they hastily crowned him.
They all recognize their mistakes now, and some of them even refuse to shake his murderous hands. However, they find themselves at a loss for how to handle him, resorting to issuing ineffective lukewarm statements of condemnation, which he consistently ignores.
Meanwhile, Ethiopians, especially Amhara Ethiopians, continue to endure daily horrors inflicted on them by Abiy Ahmed regime’s ethnic army. This army, once a respected national force, underwent a drastic transformation as almost all individuals with national sentiments were forcibly removed from its ranks.
Accordingly, the Generals and other high-ranking officials originally from diverse ethnic backgrounds were replaced with individuals from Abiy Ahmed’s own ethnic group, morphing it into an ethnically driven and ruthlessly bloodthirsty killing machine.
This grotesquely transformed national military force has been stationed in the Amhara region for more than five months now, perpetrating mass murders, looting, and theft from impoverished Amhara farmers, among its other appalling crimes.
They have gone to the extent of slaughtering the farm animals that Amhara farmers rely on for their livelihoods, some for consumption, without compensating the farmers, and others seemingly out of sheer cruelty. Moreover, they have deployed heavy weaponry, drones, and conducted fighter strikes on defenceless civilians, including women and children.
Outrageously, they have even stooped to the level of executing hospital patients, dragging them out of their beds, Amhara youth, some reportedly as young as twelve years old, the elderly, and others in broad daylight. These atrocities have all been independently verified and meticulously documented by reputable international organizations now.
Considering all these factors and more, it is absolutely imperative now for the world to acknowledge the grave and continuously worsening humanitarian crisis unfolding in Ethiopia under the oppressive regime of its unhinged leader, Abiy Ahmed.
Unless decisive action is taken soon to put a stop to these ongoing carnages in the Amhara region by, among other things, giving Abiy Ahmed an ultimatum or some such that he could
not be able to ignore, it should be clear to all by now that he is a man capable of sinking to unimaginable depths of criminality. This includes significantly escalating the ongoing mass slaughter and accelerating the genocide of Amhara Ethiopians.
The US-based Lemkin Institute for the Prevention of Genocide has issued a Red Flag Alert, the highest level of warning, regarding the genocide of the Amhara people in Ethiopia. While this horrifying situation has persisted for the past five years under Abiy Ahmed’s regime, the Lemkin Institute’s alert signifies the alarming acceleration and mechanization of the mass murders that are now being carried out using heavy weaponry, drones, fighter jets, and more.
Therefore, the time has come for the international community, particularly the Western world, including the US, Europe, Australia as well as the UN to move beyond issuing ineffective statements and press releases and take decisive action.
This must include measures such as imposing an arms embargo and establishing no-fly zones to prevent drones and fighter jets from operating in the Amhara region. The US possesses the technical capability to enforce such measures and more.
Furthermore, it is absolutely critical to facilitate easier access and even provide the Amhara people with the means to defend themselves against a tyrannical regime that has displayed unwavering determination to mercilessly and cruelly slaughter them all.
While Abiy Ahmed’s regime has been orchestrating the genocide of the Amhara people continuously almost for five years so far, the deployment of the entire military force of the country in the Amhara region now is somewhat unprecedented, and it is highly likely to be a prelude to an unimaginable massacre of the Amhara people that the regime is planning to carry out and thus it should be given due attentions by all responsible powers.
The Fanos, the only groups who are fighting to protect the Amhara people from such impending and ongoing slaughters, currently rely solely on the arms they have managed to seize from Abiy Ahmed’s captured soldiers and similar sources.
While their bravery and skills have allowed them to accomplish much, their arsenal still falls significantly short of what is needed to effectively counter an army armed with advanced weaponry, heavy artillery, tanks, aircraft, and a range of other formidable resources.
However, let me be clear, there is absolutely no scenario in which Abiy Ahmed’s regime could prevail against a determined population of forty or fifty million, no matter how many innocent Amhara people he continues to brutally slaughter.
Still, it is an immense stain on the world, especially on the global powers, from whom we rightfully expect strong leadership and decisive actions, to merely witness these horrifying atrocities unfold and to continue to issue ineffective statements and such.
One thing is certain: the Amhara people will ultimately free themselves from the clutches of this inhumane monster, who has been tormenting them for the past five years, with or without the help of others. There is absolutely no doubt about it!
Abiy Ahmed used a system of oppression and a phony constitution that legalized and entrenched discrimination and unequal treatment to oppress and disenfranchise the Amhara
people. While these systems were originally created by his predecessors – the criminal group known as the TPLF – he has intentionally and systematically made these things even worse.
The world, especially the global powers aligned with democracy, human rights, and the rule of law, now must take resolute actions on various fronts, including providing essential humanitarian assistance to the Amhara region, which is currently enduring relentless and deliberate acts of destruction.
The Amhara people have no choice but to persist in their struggle for survival. Their ultimate triumph is beyond question. However, history will judge those who chose to stand by and do nothing.
The Fanos, who are bravely defending the Amhara people against the onslaught of a deranged rogue government, have displayed remarkable discipline, heroism, and an extraordinary level of decency that goes well beyond what could be reasonably expected. They have steadfastly refrained from engaging in looting, theft, or the harassment of civilians, setting an admirable example of conduct.
In stark contrast, the Army that Abiy Ahmed unleashed in the Amhara region has engaged in all forms of criminality, including looting and theft, in addition to its other crimes, behaving like marauders.
In an attempt to deflect attention from their own disgraceful actions, the army has resorted to portraying the Fanos as something they are not, including using hooligans and mercenaries dressed in Fano uniforms to carry out looting, theft, killings, and more. However, this deceitful tactic has thus far failed and will undoubtedly continue to fail, as the entire Amhara people stand firmly with the Fano.
Overall, the Fano militia forces have operated as a unified national force, surpassing their role as a regional resistance militia. They have embodied the values of honor, decency, generosity and more, values that should have been upheld by the actual national army but regrettably were not. Despite facing overwhelming odds, their accomplishments thus far have been truly, truly remarkable.
Still, this is just the beginning. They will persist and complete the mission, ultimately ousting Abiy Ahmed from his palace, in such a way to make him envious of the fates of Saddam Hussein, Muammar Gaddafi, Mobutu Sese Seko, and Idi Amin, who, incidentally, shared a similar level of intellectual capability—although some might argue that Abiy Ahmed is actually much dumber.
Well, it doesn’t matter much; they are both as dumb as hell, curses on Africa and Africans, one dead, one still living, nominally at least. What matters now is the fact that highly unlikely for Abiy Ahmed will be able to maintain his grip on power for much longer, which is great. The Fanos, renowned for their resourcefulness, have been effectively weakening the army through their multifront attacks, employing both conventional and guerrilla warfare tactics.
To further erode his regime’s resilience, they should now consider broadening the struggle to other regions that are also suffering under Abiy Ahmed’s despotic rule.
They should explore the feasibility of sending guerrilla strike units to Addis Ababa to assist those there in their fight against the regime or to give a greater impetus to the struggle there. Additionally, they might consider training some of the Army’s captured soldiers and deploying them to resist the regime in their respective regions. These are just a few ideas that I’m sure the collective leadership of Fanos are probably already considering and more.
With all that in mind, it is crucial to start planning for a future without the cursed Abiy Ahmed, the petulant despot. This includes declaring ‘Never Again’ to cruel and ignorant tyrants like him. It is never too early to contemplate these matters.
In the meantime, the Amhara people and their Fanos should know that we all stand with you in your struggle to establish a democratic nation that upholds human rights and the rule of law, where the Amhara people will not be treated as second- or third-class citizens in their own country, and where no one faces discrimination and unequal treatment on the basis of their ethnicities, religious affiliations and more.
Victory to the Amhara people, Victory to the Fanos, Victory to Ethiopia!
